Trinamul aid to closed tea gardens

Redbank Tea Estate

TT, Jalpaiguri: Trinamul leaders in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts have found an Assam-based investor to assume control of the closed Redbank and Surendranagar Tea Estates.

The Trinamul-backed tea trade union has as well succeeded in persuading the management of Sylee Tea Estate, located in Jalpaiguri's Malbazar block, to reopen the garden on February 18. The garden had been closed for around one-and- a-half months.

Observers believe it is the party's scheme to swell vote bank in the Dooars as the panchayat elections are upcoming. Trinamul want all the tea estates in the Dooars to reopen ahead of the panchayat polls, they believe.

Earlier, some local Trinamul leaders had managed to get an investor to run the closed Carron Tea Estate - located in Nagrakata block of Jalpaiguri - on an interim basis.

Sourav Chakraborty, Jalpaiguri district Trinamul president, said: "Recently, the prospective investor from Assam had visited three closed gardens of Redbank group. The state has already cancelled land lease of the gardens. He has agreed to take over these estates and spoken with officials of the district administration. We hope other necessary formalities would be carried out soon."

Officials of state labour department said they were also in talks with some tea companies and potential investors.